Melanson Roofing completes repairs on the slate roof of the Jaffrey Public Library on Tuesday, using a mechanical lift.
STAFF PHOTO BY ASHLEY SAARI
After a day of repairs on Tuesday that replaced broken, missing or loose tiles, the Jaffrey Public Library’s slate roof is in tip-top shape.
Library Director Julie Perrin said the work, done by Melanson Roofing, caused the driveway of the library to be closed for the day, and at points, the main entrance to be closed, but the library carried on its usual hours during the repairs.
Perrin said that in 2023, as part of the work to include the Jaffrey Public Library on the National Register of Historic Places, the library underwent an assessment that included a list of prioritized repairs, which has been included in the library’s long-term planning.
“Top of that list, the No. 1 thing, was repairs to the slate roof,” Perrin said.
Perrin said there were some tiles with visible issues, along with issues that had been identified during a previous repair of the roof’s copper capping, but Melanson Roofing was able to use a lift to assess and repair tiles across the entire roof. The estimated cost of the repair was $3,700, which the town paid from the library’s 2023 unspent budget. Perrin said there were excess funds left over from the previous year due to a staffing shortfall, and the town agreed to use the funds to address the roof.
There are no specific repairs set to be addressed in the coming year’s budget, Perrin said. The library will be looking into grant opportunities to tackle the next-highest projects on its priority list, which include restoring the historic window trims, the eyebrow window in the upper floor of the library and winterization of the historic windows.
“They’re next on the list,” Perrin said.
Melanson Roofing completed the repairs on Tuesday, and Perrin thanked them for their professionalism and for working with the library to ensure access to the building for people with disabilities stayed open at all times.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or [email protected]. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.